Lions injury update: Golden Tate’s right arm is in a sling

Since it’s the bye week, we won’t be getting any injury reports from the Detroit Lions until next Wednesday. Considering the team’s long list of injuries, it can be a little frustrating not knowing the fate of this roster for next Sunday’s game.

But we know a little more about Golden Tate and his shoulder injury thanks to his Instagram account. Tate posted a video of himself at a panel for Notre Dame on Saturday prior to their big game against USC. In the video, Tate’s right arm is very clearly in a sling:

This picture seems to fall in line with Ian Rapoport’s report that Tate has suffered an AC joint sprain and will miss a few weeks.

If Tate can’t go next Sunday, the Lions will be without their biggest offensive weapon against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tate leads the Lions in receptions (36) and receiving yards (361), and is currently ranked as the No. 5 receiver in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Tate has not missed a single game since joining the Lions in 2014.

The Lions have a few options in replacing Tate. If Kenny Golladay is healthy enough to return from his hamstring, the Lions may not need to make a roster move and could simply have TJ Jones or Jared Abbrederis slide into the slot. If Golladay is still hampered by the injury, Detroit could potentially bring up Jace Billingsley from their practice squad or make a move for someone else.